Dual! WTEL: Spaghetti or Curry?
by COHugh
Summary: Dual! What is This Emotion: Love? Part 1 (of 4). Two years after Episode 14, Kazuki still hasn't chosen the love of his life. With their departure from Earth imminent, however, emotions have been laid down on the line. Who will Kazuki choose?
1. Part 1

"Spaghetti or Curry?"   
By COHugh  
  
(Author's Note: Because our host is oh-so accomodating, you will see lines of a single letter, A. This is to denote a scene change. The original story used to do this with asteriks, but they do not display here for some reason or another. In addition, our host will not allow me to italicize text. Therefore, Zinv's speech will be denoted with a "Zinv:" in some places to symbolize his telepathic communications with Kazuki.)  
  
"Kazuki," the soft whisper followed by the jab in his rib informed the student that his note-passing services were required. Obediently, he held out his hand and passed the note  
  
"And so, as you can see, the poet is really a tortured soul, not a madman as his critics suggest." Yayoi raised her eyes from the aged text. Her sharp blue eyes focused for the one hundred fifty-eighth time on the occupant of seat number twenty-six, Kazuki Yotsuga. "Wouldn't you agree," she asked her prized pupil, adding a slight smile.  
  
Kazuki gulped. Why did she always have to ask him? "Um... I suppose so."  
  
She nodded, adding, "As such, we should attempt to ease his suffering by listening to his poetry and not passing notes while it is being read, yes?"  
  
Kazuki's face reddened. "Uh... Yes ma'am!"  
  
The rest of the class broke down into the usual assorted giggles and hushed murmuring. Yayoi, for her part, tried her best to calm the students down. It had been a very long week and the entire class was looking forward to the following day off, but she still had a few more poems to get through before the day off claimed her students.  
  
The soft chime informed Yayoi that any attempt to continue their education today was not to be. Sighing, she closed the text and set it down on top of her desk. "Alright class, make sure you read the assigned pages at home. There will be a test when you return."  
  
The myriad of groans caused the teacher to smile. "Now, now. You know that this poor tortured man would not appreciate your unwillingness to read his work!"  
  
"We know, we know!"  
  
"Good." The teacher bowed to her students, who rose and returned the gesture.  
  
"Dismissed."  
  
The students quickly shuffled out of the classroom, laughing and chatting amongst themselves. Kazuki, Mansanari, and Toshihiko met at their respective lockers as usual, discussing their plans for the next day. "I've finally found a nearby apartment to move into," Toshihiko stated, pulling his text from the locker and placing it in his pack.  
  
Kazuki peeked from behind his locker door. "That's great! When do you move in?"  
  
"Tomorrow morning. My brothers and sisters are going to help me move my things in. It's not much to look at, but it'll be all mine and besides, it's much better than sharing my room with four other kids."  
  
Kazuki could sympathize. The Sanada household seemed to grow in number with each passing day. First himself, then Dee, then Mitsuki Rara, then Akane, then Kumu, and now Mr. and Mrs. Rara, whose house had been destroyed when Zinv decided to make his presence in this world known quite abruptly almost two years ago. For some reason, they had decided to take up residence at the Sanada home and had not left since. Dr. Rara and Dr. Sanada appeared not to mind the arrangement too much; it merely provided another setting for the scientists to bounce ideas back and forth on the space project. Sometimes this was quite literal in the form of wadded blueprints being thrown back and forth at each other, along with various small jibes.  
  
At times, he wondered if merging the two worlds was the correct course of action for him and Mitsuki Sanada to have chosen. Life had seemed so much simpler with the two worlds separated from one another. Of course, if the worlds were separate still, he would never be able to see some of his friends in their current manner.  
  
While Kazuki was pondering this question, Toshihiko had continued on, "Yeah, now all I have to do is find a wife to help around the house..."  
  
Kazuki shook his head; his friend's words snapping him back to reality. "Wife? Aren't you a little young to be looking for a wife?"  
  
Toshihiko shut his locker and sealed his bag, throwing it over his right shoulder. "Not at all, my young friend. My parents were only eighteen when they married and my birthday is coming soon." The seventeen year-old rubbed his palms together with a slight grin spreading across his lips. He had obviously been plotting this for a very long time. "So, do you think Mitsuki would like to hear about the hot new bachelor pad?"  
  
As Toshihiko spoke, Kazuki and Mansanari visibly paled to an almost blue shade, staring over the speaker's left shoulder.  
  
"Somehow I doubt it. What kind of self-respecting woman would accept an offer from someone who just called his one-room shack a 'hot new bachelor pad'," Mitsuki Sanada asked, rolling her eyes at the younger man's failed advance.  
  
Toshihiko slowly turned, the fear in his eyes quite evident. "M-M-M- Mitsuki..."  
  
Mitsuki sighed and pushed past the obviously embarrassed Toshihiko, grabbing Kazuki by the jacket. "C'mon, Kazuki. You know Daddy and Dr. Rara wanted to see you after school."  
  
Kazuki nodded, adding under his breath as he was being dragged down the corridor, "Didn't you graduate last year?"  
  
His question was answered with a prompt slap to the face.  
  
"You know good and well that I was held back a year because of your incessant meddling with the Space/Time continuum! Why, if it weren't for me, you'd probably still be stuck in some unknown universe. Dirty messy Kazuki, stuck between worlds! You should be thankful that I don't make you do my school work in payment for all I've done for you!"  
  
Kazuki rubbed his face before putting up a weak defense, "Hey! I was held back too!"  
  
Mitsuki growled before continuing towards the Main Entrance. "Don't change the subject. We're already late, so let's go!"  
  
"Yes ma'am." Kazuki bowed his head and followed her out the doors and towards the almost certain fate that awaited them once they arrived home.  
  
Toshihiko and Mansanari stared longingly after their classmate, stating simply, "He's so lucky!"  
  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
  
"Kazuki, my boy! Come in here and knock some sense into your 'Uncle' Sanada!" Dr. Rara all but dragged the boy into the basement lab/Rara sleeping quarters.  
  
"Don't you 'my boy' him!" Dr. Sanada rushed to Kazuki's aid. "He's MY boy, thank you very much!"  
  
"Umm... I don't think I'm anyone's boy, to be honest sirs." Kazuki attempted to pull away from the two doctors, but to no avail.  
  
"Nonsense, nonsense! Come take a look at these designs!" Sanada dragged Kazuki to a drawing board and began flipping through sketches. "Here! Now Kazuki, would you like to cruise through the galaxy in this heap of junk," Sanada held up a picture that clearly had 'Rara' signed on the lower right corner, "Or this fine beauty," Sanada asked, holding up a sketch that was clearly signed 'Sanada'.  
  
"Heap of junk! Well of course he's not going to pick it if it's referred to that way! Besides, it's many times more impressive than your flying soapbox with lasers!" Dr. Rara, who was bright red with anger, had crossed the room with surprising agility and was currently in Dr. Sanada's face.  
  
Kazuki looked at some of the other sketches on the table while the two continued to argue. He'd learned long ago that the best way to handle these situations was to let them duel until a victor was declared or at least until they were too weary to continue.  
  
As he dug through the stack of papers, he came across one design that was vaguely familiar. Pondering its layout for a few minutes, he finally realized that it reminded him of the artifact ship that Dr. Sanada was in possession of in one of the alternate universes. Pulling it out from under the other sketches, he held it up between the two feuding scientists.  
  
"Actually, I like this one."  
  
The two stopped and looked at the drawing momentarily. In one voice, they both replied in shock, "You like that one? What's wrong with you, my boy? Your boy? I thought we'd covered this already! Grrrrrr!"  
  
Sighing, Kazuki slowly slid out of the basement; the two scientists too busy fighting to notice his escape. They were making progress, sadly. Another year and they might have the design candidates down to three.  
  
As he moved through the house, the luxurious scents from the kitchen assailed his senses. Following his nose, he floated into the dinning room, not even noticing Reika, Akane, and Ayuko sipping tea. The three distinguished ladies grinned from ear to ear as Kazuki drifted past them; Akane and Reika for his obvious love of the girls' cooking and Ayuko for her own less than reputable reasons.  
  
Kazuki was beginning to slide the door to the kitchen open when Akane scolded him. "Kazuki! It's rude not to address your elders when you enter a room!"  
  
Kazuki, awakening from his food-induced trance, spun around abruptly. "I'm so sorry!" He bowed deeply and continued, "It's just the food smelled so good..."  
  
"That's still not a valid excu--"  
  
"Akane," Reika spoke up for the young man, "Boys will be boys, and he is still a boy..."  
  
Ayuko chimed in, "Yes, I agree with Reika. I'm sure this charming young man meant no offense." She added a devious smile towards the young Mr. Yotsuga, who blushed in return.  
  
Reika and Akane's eyes narrowed; Akane's because she hated being reprimanded by her older sister and Reika's because she had the unfortunate luck to be on the same side as Ayuko.  
  
Ayuko pulled an adjacent chair up to the table. "Come, Kazuki. Sit here next to your Mother Ayuko..."  
  
"Umm, well, that is, uh," Kazuki was desperately seeking an escape route.  
  
Reika and Akane startled Kazuki out of his stuttering fit with a combined, "WHAT!"  
  
Ayuko smiled innocently, waiving off the assailants with her free hand. "It's nothing more than a term of endearment! You mustn't be so harsh..."  
  
"Endearment!" Akane scowled at Ayuko.  
  
"Harsh!" Reika made an equally fearsome scowl.  
  
Kazuki, sensing another fight was about to commence, slid out of the dinning hall. He wondered if there was any way he could eat dinner in his room for the next two years. Doubting the possibility of this scenario coming to fruition, he marched up to his room for at least a moment of peace and quiet before dinner.  
  
As he approached his bedroom door, he noticed it was already open. He also noticed a muffled growl and a low voice saying, "No Kumu! Not his pillow! Bad!" Kazuki slowly opened the door, half afraid of the scene behind it awaiting him.  
  
His room was in shambles. His books, which Mitsuki had apparently brought up while he was discussing ship designs with the doctors, were ripped to shreds and spread all over the room. Dee, for her part, was trying to herd Kumu out of the room before she could do any more damage.  
  
As the door opened, Dee visibly paled. She quickly snatched up Kumu and started bowing her head profusely, sniffling loudly and barely containing her tears. "I'm so sorry, Kazuki! I was doing my homework and I thought she was in the room with me still, but she wasn't and when I went and looked for her, she was in here ripping your room to pieces. I'm so sorry! I'll clean it all up after dinner, promise!"  
  
Kazuki entered the room and surveyed the damage. Most of his homework had been destroyed along with his pillow. As Dee continued to apologize, he reached over and rested his hand on her shoulder. "It's ok, Dee. We'll clean it up after dinner together. It's nothing to worry about, honest!" He added a smile, hoping that she wouldn't start crying over something so trivial.  
  
Dee looked up at Kazuki, still holding Kumu, who was growling at the intruder, tightly. Her eyes began to lighten and a smile slowly tugged at the corner of her lips. "R-Really?"  
  
Kazuki nodded. "Yep." He wiped away one of the tears streaming down her cheek and added, "Now go put Kumu in your room and get cleaned up. Dinner should be ready any minute now."  
  
Dee cheerfully responded, "Ok Kazuki," and promptly left his room. It was nice to see Dee so happy. Every time that Kazuki had doubts about this new world, he thought of her smiling face and how much she'd changed from when he first met her and would know that he had done the right thing.  
  
Without even realizing it, Kazuki had begun to blush. He also didn't notice the entourage standing outside his doorway observing the mess.  
  
Mitsuki Sanada was the first to speak up, as usual. "What are you blushing about? And why is your room such a mess? Honestly, I can't leave you alone for five minutes or you'd ruin this entire house! You're so much like Daddy it's frightening!"  
  
"B-But it wasn't me! Honest, Mitsuki! Kumu got loose again!"  
  
"Riiight. You can't always blame your poor hygiene and lack of organizational skills on the family pet, Kazuki."  
  
"But I'm telling the truth!"  
  
Yayoi used the break in yelling to interject, "I apologize for the inconvenience, but you do realize that I will not accept those assignments late, Kazuki?"  
  
Kazuki bowed slightly to his teacher in acknowledgement as Mitsuki rolled her eyes and continued, "And now you're going to expect me to clean this up after dinner. Well let me tell you something, Mr. Yotsuga, I'm not your maid! You'll have to clean this one up yourself!"  
  
The other Mitsuki, who had been silent up until this point, softly offered, "I'll help you clean up after dinner if you'd like, Kazuki."  
  
Kazuki swallowed deeply and felt his cheeks redden more. "That'd be great, Mitsuki--"  
  
Dee pushed past the crowd, frowning slightly, "But you said we'd clean the room together!"  
  
"Oh! I did, didn't I? Thank you for your offer anyways, Mitsuki."  
  
Yayoi and Mitsuki Sanada both gave Mitsuki Rara a cold stare and a singular reply, "Yes, thank you Ms. Rara."  
  
Mitsuki looked away, trying to hide her blushing face. "It's nothing, really..."  
  
Slowly looking away from Mitsuki Rara, Mitsuki Sanada returned her glare to Kazuki. "Anyway, dinner is ready and you need to get down there and eat it before it gets cold, or, in Yayoi's case, warm." The reference to Yayoi's sushi had not fallen on deaf ears and Kazuki quickly dropped the remains of his homework in order to please the assembled mass.  
  
Dee quickly sprang into Kazuki's room, wrapping around his left arm as she normally did whenever they were heading in the same direction. Yayoi, Mitsuki, and Mitsuki all responded in their customary manor: Yayoi and Ms. Sanada scowled fiercely and Ms. Rah merely looked away and blushed. Kazuki just tried to avoid eye contact with any of the girls and laughed nervously. "Well, let's eat!"  
  
Ms. Sanada stormed down the hall towards the stairs, snarling, "Yes. Let's."  
  
Dinner had transpired about as normal as most meals at the Sanada/Rara Household occurred. Things started out with Kazuki receiving three large portions in comparison to everyone else's human-sized one portion. The three chefs all watched intently as Kazuki spent the better part of a half- hour trying to decide how he was going to mix the three totally unique meals so that no one would be offended by his sampling another's meal before theirs. He finally ended up with a rather unique-tasting sushi/egg roll/hamburger, which had sadly become more and more appetizing with each passing minute.  
  
After dinner, Kazuki and Dee worked on cleaning up his demolished room. Kumu had been very thorough in ripping up anything she could, including a pair of underwear Kazuki had lost some time ago that had been hiding behind his desk. By the time they had finished, half of the house had retired for the evening. They took turns in the bath, Dee going first, and wished each other a good evening before going to sleep themselves.  
  
Kazuki wished he didn't have to spend the morning redoing his homework. At least he and Dee were able to spend some time together, though. They rarely got to see each other any more due to their different schools. That would all change next school year when Kazuki was a senior and Dee a freshman at the Academy, but that was still some time away.  
  
He felt at times like he was neglecting her, the one who had helped him in the end more than any other. The one who had actually sacrificed her life in order to awaken Zinv's full potential. Perhaps they could go out for ice cream tomorrow after he went to the main laboratory to visit Zinv...  
  
Kazuki shot straight out of his bed. He had totally forgotten about his trip in the morning. If he was going to get his work done and visit Zinv, he was going to have to pull an all-nighter and finish his homework!  
  
Sighing heavily, he muttered to himself, "Why me?" Kazuki turned on the light and opened his tattered textbook, praying that some miracle would get him out of this.  
  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
  
"Kazuki, wake up." Dee and Mitsuki Rara both gently pushed on either side of him.  
  
"How many times do I have to tell you? That doesn't work!" Mitsuki Sanada picked up a stack of books and dropped them on Kazuki's stomach, causing him to sit up instinctively and push the covers away from him.  
  
The Mitsukis and Dee all gasped collectively at the sight. Yayoi was curled up in a ball next to Kazuki and had apparently been there all evening.  
  
Mitsuki Sanada glowed fiery red with rage, and dropped a couple of books on the teacher to get her attention. "What... Are... You... DOING? You sick freak! Get out of Kazuki's bed this instant!"  
  
Kazuki switched into automatic defense mode, shouting as he backed away, "I didn't know she was there! Honest! I swear!"  
  
Mitsuki Sanada's reply was a simple slap upside Kazuki's head. She immediately returned her attention to Yayoi, who was rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Well?"  
  
Yayoi looked around the room in a dazed fashion, slowly replying, "I must have sleep-walked here... The last thing I remember is going to bed in my room across the way," she pointed to her house, which was conveniently mere meters away from Kazuki's window and had an odd board between the two houses that would be perfect for crossing back and forth.  
  
"Sleep-walked? HA! I don't buy that for an instant! Get back to your house this instant, you hear me!" Mitsuki opened the window and pointed a finger out of it, her red face becoming reddish-purple fast.  
  
Yayoi lowered her head and rose, climbing out the window slowly as she muttered, "It worked for Mitsuki..."  
  
Mitsuki Sanada spun around, the fire almost emerging out of her hair. "What did you say?"  
  
Yayoi held her hands up in a defensive posture and smiled innocently. "Not a thing, Mitsuki!"  
  
As Yayoi's legs exited the windowsill, Mitsuki slammed the window shut and lowered the blinds. "That ought to keep certain peeping toms from getting an eye-full. Everyone out!" Mitsuki began forcing the other occupants of the room out the door, yelling at Kazuki to get dressed and eat his breakfast.  
  
As he dug through his room looking for an unused or non-ripped set of clothing, Kazuki wondered if his life was ever going to settle down. He also wondered what he would do if suddenly one day it did.  
  
Finally finding a suitable outfit, he glanced at the blinds one more time before tossing his bedclothes in the general direction of the clothesbasket. 


	2. Part 2

The hilltop laboratory loomed in the distance as the van approached. These were the days that Kazuki waited all week for: Sundays with Zinv. Every Sunday since Zinv had arrived, Kazuki and occasionally the others would travel to Mr. Rara's laboratory and visit the massive robot. Recently, within the last few months, Doctors Sanada and Rara had begun construction on the new core robots that would be accompanying them into space along with some of the key components of the new spaceship.  
  
While all of these things were spectacular in their own way, Kazuki could care less about anything other than Zinv. Kazuki enjoyed listening to Zinv tell him about his week in 'captivity', as Zinv called it. Kazuki also enjoyed the brief ride he was allowed with the ancient core robot in the underground testing facility. Plus, the approaching view of the laboratory was breathtaking.  
  
Kazuki's loud snores were interrupted by Mitsuki Sanada's elbow into his rib. It was unfortunately her turn to ride next to Kazuki and she did not take into consideration the fact that he had been up almost all night finishing his homework.  
  
"I said, 'Isn't the view so romantic, Kazuki?'! Why don't you try staying awake for five minutes instead of sleeping so much?""  
  
Kazuki groaned, not even bothering to respond to Mitsuki. He merely watched the approaching lab and realized that his best friend would be waiting for him just within.  
  
The van pulled up to the main entrance and Kazuki, as usual, was the first to jump out, running full-steam towards his counterpart. The others merely smiled at the touching scene and filed out of the van, following the dust trail left in Kazuki's wake towards the main maintenance facility.  
  
Kazuki slammed past the double-doors, apologizing to Ms. Hayase, who's path he had narrowly averted. Continuing onward, he ran past the main housing unit of the spaceship, which was currently under construction, and into the next area, Core Robot Storage. Finally, he stopped, staring upward with a smile beaming from his face.  
  
"Hello, old friend."  
  
The robot turned its head towards Kazuki, the first time it had moved since Kazuki's last visit, and responded in a voice that only the pilot could hear, "Hello, Kazuki."  
  
Mitsukis and Company entered the control room and watched Kazuki from a security camera. They knew better than to interrupt him when he first arrived, so they always allowed him and Zinv a few minutes alone.  
  
As Mitsuki, Mitsuki, Yayoi, and Dee stared at the monitor longingly, they dreamed of having such a relationship with Kazuki; a relationship where he would come to them for support and belonging. However, the bond between Kazuki and Zinv seemed too powerful to be duplicated between Kazuki and themselves. Sighing, they started walking towards the Core Robot Storage hanger. The twin brothers had had enough time alone.  
  
Hayase joined the group, informing them of the status of the crew cabin and also of the new core robots. None of them were one hundred percent complete, but the revamped Units One and Two were close to completion. The only parts remaining were the exterior armor and the inner cockpits, all of which would take another three months to complete. The new units would stand close to Zinv's height and would also incorporate some of Zinv's unique abilities. While some of the energy weapons could not be duplicated, the physical strength was analyzed for months and was finally found to be replicable. The completed units would be able to physically rip through an army of core robots like they were mere paper dolls. They would also exhibit a much more simplistic form of artificial intelligence based off of Zinv's AI systems.  
  
Mitsuki Sanada was staring at the unfinished Unit Two's open chest plate, preparing to make a comment about modesty, when Kazuki began to laugh.  
  
"What? What's so funny?" Mitsuki placed her hands on her hips and glared at Kazuki.  
  
"Zinv said something funny... I don't think I should repeat it."  
  
"Do you like doing laundry?"  
  
Kazuki considered this for a moment. Deciding he didn't, he slowly replied, "He said Unit Two's heart is cold and empty..."  
  
"And?"  
  
Kazuki muttered something under his breath as his cheeks reddened.  
  
"What was that, Kazuki?"  
  
"... Like the pilot's."  
  
Mitsuki's fury built inside of her. She approached Kazuki, winding up for a slap, but turned at the last minute and stormed off down the hanger to look at the other units with the others.  
  
"Shhh! She might hear you, Zinv!" Kazuki chided his friend, trying to look away from the new Unit Two and Mitsuki.  
  
"Shut. Up." Mitsuki glared at the two before continuing further down the hanger towards Units Four and Five.  
  
Sighing heavily, Kazuki walked up to the cockpit of Zinv and hopped inside. Placing his hands on the orbs in both armrests, he activated Zinv's systems and carefully moved the arms around. Soon, they would lower him into the testing range for a little rest and relaxation with Zinv, but for now this would have to suffice.  
  
Zinv's voice rumbled through Kazuki's mind, "That was Katana's response as well. The pilot and her counterpart appear to be well suited."  
  
Kazuki looked up with a questioning gaze. Zinv had taken recently to calling Unit Two Katana because, as he put it, ' The pilot's tongue was as sharp as a blade.' It required some time to get used to, but the name was beginning to catch on among the laboratory staff.  
  
"What do you mean, 'Katana's response'? How can Unit Two understand what any of us are saying around it or, for that matter, respond to it?"  
  
Zinv's faint laughter could be felt as well as hear by the pilot. "The one known as Hayase has been working on their consciousness for months now." By 'their', Kazuki knew that Zinv meant the other core robots. Each one was to have a different personality matrix similar to their pilot's in order to improve response times and other battle techniques. Zinv continued, "She used what she called 'psychological profiles' to awaken Katana two days ago. She told me not to inform you or the little one of these modifications until the 'time was right'. When is time right, Kazuki?"  
  
Kazuki chuckled slightly. Zinv had just revealed the secret he was supposed to keep without realizing it.  
  
Zinv: "What is so amusing?"  
  
"This wasn't the 'right time' Hayase had in mind. She wanted you to withhold the information from all of us until... Until she could break it to us easily." Kazuki had had a feeling that this was going to happen, but he had assumed that Unit One and Mitsuki Rara would be the first to receive this treatment, not the sometimes-unstable Mitsuki Sanada. It was going to be hard for Mitsuki to accept that she was going to be emulated by a multiple-stories tall robot.  
  
Zinv: "This is most confusing. Why would I be asked to withhold such information from the pilots?"  
  
"Ms. Hayase was probably just trying to lessen the blow."  
  
Zinv: "Lessen the blow?"  
  
"Uh... Yeah. It can be quite a shock to find out your thoughts are now shared between two beings when you spent a lifetime thinking you were alone." Kazuki rolled these words over in his mind. He wondered if perhaps he had stumbled upon some profound statement whose meaning was momentarily eluding him.  
  
Zinv: "I see. Did the link between you and I take some time to adapt to?"  
  
"No, not really. You and I were... Are different. We have always shared a link, even if I did not know of it until recently. Once we were reunited, there was no doubt in my mind. We were of one being." Kazuki realized that this conversation had taken an odd turn and attempted to control his blushing slightly. Though Kazuki had his dream fulfilled when he first piloted Hartzenen almost three years ago, he had always considered every action he took with Zinv as an actual physical extension of himself. When he piloted Zinv, it felt more natural than anything had ever felt in his life. No matter where they were, he knew that that was where he needed to be, piloting Zinv. Zinv was his brother, as far as Kazuki was concerned, and always would be.  
  
Zinv remained silent, as if he was reflecting upon what had been said. A small console next to Kazuki's right arm lit up, stating, 'Incoming Transmission'. It had been added by the lab workers fairly recently and allowed Kazuki to receive broadcasts from the command center as well as other core robots like he used to inside of Hartzenen.  
  
Pressing 'Accept', Kazuki replied calmly, "Kazuki here. What's up?"  
  
Ken Sanada's face popped up on the screen, smiling as usual. "So, my boy, ready to take him for a spin?"  
  
A voice from off camera shouted, "My boy! If he's anyone's boy, he's--"  
  
Dr. Sanada made a strange motion with his arm, presumably to cover Dr. Rara's mouth, and muttered, "Can it, Rara."  
  
Rolling his eyes, Kazuki gave the affirmative and activated the external cameras. As the elevator carried Zinv down past the reinforced floor, Kazuki wondered how much like Mitsuki Sanada Unit Two was going to be. He kept having an image of a red and yellow streak smacking Zinv upside the head for some stray comment or look at another core robot.  
  
Zinv, misunderstanding the images running through his counterpart's mind, replied confidently, "I will not allow Katana to attack us. If I must, she will be destroyed."  
  
Kazuki chuckled and activated the life-sympathy receptors on his armrests as the safety locks disengaged. Instantly, Zinv was on the other side of the room, half a mile from the elevator.  
  
Ken Sanada's face reappeared on the small screen, along with an image of a drooling Dr. Rara, who always enjoyed watching the data from a Zinv test flight. "Kazuki, don't forget that we still need to examine the other core robots before we leave. We can't have you flying around all day."  
  
"I know, I know." A devious smile began to spread across Kazuki's lips as an idea formed in his mind.  
  
"And Kazuki, don't activa--"  
  
Zinv, who had been traveling around the underground cavern, came to a complete halt and roared as light began spreading from his back. The light emanating from the fixtures surrounding the pilot and his core robot grew in intensity before the bulbs exploded all around them, raining glass shards down upon the core robot.  
  
The lights behind Ken Sanada's image flickered and Mitsuki Sanada could be heard shouting something about an idiot as the Light Hawk Wings spread from Zinv's back. The robot released a mighty roar as the protective casing shattered and its true power was felt throughout the complex.  
  
"... Activate the Light Hawk Wings," Dr. Sanada finished his sentence, adding a sigh to the end.  
  
"Sorry, Doctor. He just needed a good stretch."  
  
Mitsuki Sanada pushed her way onto the screen, her face it's almost normal shade of red. "You idiot! Do you realize how much damage you cause every time you activate those things inside this facility?"  
  
Zinv cut the power to the monitor. "She's no fun."  
  
It was one thing Kazuki and he could both agree upon.  
  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
  
"And another thing: Don't you dare cut power to your monitor when I'm talking to you again or I swear I'll keep you from riding in Zinv ever again!"  
  
Mitsuki Sanada had been like this ever since Kazuki had returned Zinv to storage. Non-stop yelling.  
  
Dr. Sanada spoke up, "I don't believe there is a force on this planet powerful enough to keep those two apart if they have it in their minds to visit each other."  
  
Ms. Sanada considered this for a moment before returning to her chastising of Kazuki. The trip home was only another five miles, so thankfully he would be able to eventually escape to his room. He just had to hold out until then.  
  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
  
Kazuki slowly opened the door, peeking through the small crack he had created.  
  
The coast seemed clear.  
  
Carefully, he continued opening the door.  
  
Nothing out of the ordinary was showing itself thus far, until...  
  
Three voices spoke in unison, "So, did you ask her yet?" Alice poked her head out of one of the cabinets separating his room from Dee's while Ryla appeared from behind the door and Mena climbed in through the window.  
  
Kazuki fell over in shock. The three girls had been doing this every Sunday since Zinv had returned. They'd always be waiting for him in some location in or around the house and would always ask the same question.  
  
"No, I didn't ask Mitsuki out. Leave me alone!"  
  
In unison, they replied, "Ugh! Must we do everything for this boy! Ask her out already!"  
  
"I-I-I haven't had the time!" Kazuki was looking for any excuse as he backed towards the door.  
  
Ryla had unfortunately beaten him to the exit and with Mena by the window there was no escape. "All you have to do is say," Ryla's voice changed to an imitation of a male's deeper tone, " 'Hey Mitsuki, do you want to go out tonight?' "  
  
Alice grinned impishly, softening the tone of her voice as she replied, " 'Oh yes, Kazuki! I'd love to!' "  
  
Mena just giggled. She never was very good at imitating others.  
  
"Alright, alright! I'll do it! Will you leave me alone now?" This tactic had worked almost one hundred and four times prior to this encounter and was Kazuki's last hope of reprisal.  
  
The three girls surrounded him quickly and replied all together, "Nope!" They picked him up and carried him down the hall to Mitsuki's and Mitsuki's room. They quickly knocked on the door and darted away before Kazuki could figure out what just happened.  
  
"Who is it?" Mitsuki Rara's voice brought a rose color to Kazuki's cheeks.  
  
Utterly speechless, he struggled to find the right words to say, any words to say at all.  
  
Zinv: "You're choking."  
  
Kazuki muttered under his breath, "Quiet, Zinv."  
  
"Kazuki, is that you?"  
  
Kazuki swallowed deeply as he heard a soft pattering of feet approaching the door. As the knob slowly turned, he considered running, but saw three sets of intent eyes watching from the stairwell. There was no escape.  
  
Mitsuki Rara opened the door and smiled at Kazuki. "Hello, Kazuki. Is there something I can help you with?"  
  
"I-I-I..."  
  
Zinv: "Get on with it."  
  
Kazuki gulped, closed his eyes, and spouted out as quickly as possible, "Do you remember the date we were supposed to go out on a couple of years ago?"  
  
Mitsuki's cheeks reddened slightly. "Y-yes, I remember."  
  
"Well, I was wondering if... That is, if you're not busy... What I mean is..."  
  
Mitsuki took a step towards Kazuki, her face beginning to light up slightly. "Yes?"  
  
Zinv: "Spit it out."  
  
"Stop it, Zinv."  
  
Zinv: "Sorry."  
  
"Not a problem."  
  
"Umm... Kazuki? Are you ok?" Mitsuki looked at the boy standing in her doorway with a concerned look on her face. It was times like these Kazuki wished he could keep his big mouth shut. Whenever he talked to Zinv, it made him look like he was talking to himself, which in turn made others worry.  
  
"I'm fine. Zinv just decided he wanted insider information on our conversation," Kazuki added a smile and a nervous laugh, hoping that this would ease the troubled look off of Mitsuki's face.  
  
She smiled slightly, "Oh, I see. Can't you tune him out?"  
  
"Sometimes. It just takes a lot of concentration and I'm kind of distracted right now."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I'm trying to ask you out for a date tonight and he won't leave me alone for five seconds." Realizing he'd just given Mitsuki the entire reason he was there, his red cheeks grew in intensity.  
  
Mitsuki quickly looked away, but smiled slightly. "I'd love to."  
  
"Great! I'll get cleaned up and then we can go!" Kazuki smiled at his date for the evening, barely noticing the noise behind him.  
  
A full clothesbasket hit the floor down the hall in front of Kazuki's door. Mitsuki Sanada fought to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes as her mouth gaped open. Thankfully, neither one of the couple had noticed her approach or the fact that she was now gawking at them. She quickly picked up the clothesbasket and turned towards Dee's room. She always seemed to have almost as much laundry as Kazuki. Mitsuki had assumed that it had something to do with their close proximity to each other.  
  
As she entered Dee's room, she sniffled. Dee was downstairs with some of her classmates finishing up a project that was due the next day and would not be coming back to her room for a while. The large stack of clothing loomed in the corner.  
  
It was definitely a proximity thing.  
  
Mitsuki thought about the idea of close proximity and could no longer hold her tears back. She wailed into one of Dee's pillows as she thought back over how much time she wasted with Kazuki back when it was just the two of them. She thought it would last forever, but now Yayoi had him at school, Dee seemed to have him after school, and, after the event she just witnessed in the hall, it appeared Mitsuki had him in between.  
  
She quickly dropped the pillow back on Dee's futon. She dried her watery eyes on a handkerchief and placed it in with the rest of the dirty laundry. She just had to face the facts and move on. Kazuki had three full shifts that he would have to follow every single day. There was no use crying over it. She needed to realize:  
  
There was nothing left for her.  
  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
  
Kazuki poked his head into the kitchen.  
  
No sign of Mitsuki Sanada.  
  
Frowning, he continued on to the next room. Akane, Doctors Sanada and Rara, Ayuko, and Reika had all returned to the laboratory hours ago to continue research and had left the house in Mitsuki's care. As such, Kazuki wanted to let her know that he and Mitsuki Rara were going out before they left. If push came to shove, he could always leave her a note, but he preferred to handle his correspondences in person.  
  
He looked inside the laundry room and was surprised to see Dee, who had finished her project early and sent her friends home, putting clothes in the washer. A snarling Kumu rested on a stack of towels fresh off the clothesline. This was most unusual, especially considering the fiasco Kazuki and D's first and last encounter with the laundry caused.  
  
Dee glanced at Kumu and then at what she was snarling at, smiling at the figure that stood in the doorway. "Hello, Kazuki! How are you?"  
  
Remaining in the doorway so as not to disturb Kumu, Kazuki replied warmly, "Hey Dee, I'm fine. Where's Mitsuki?"  
  
"Which one? I always have trouble telling which one you're talking about." Dee wrinkled her nose slightly to express her dislike of this confusion.  
  
"Mitsuki Sanada."  
  
Dee frowned and replied, "She seemed a little odd. She just said, 'Dee do the laundry. Right this time, if you don't mind,' and stormed out of the house an hour ago. I wonder what she means by right. Bleach does go in every load, doesn't it? How hard can it be?"  
  
Kazuki shrugged. He never was one for laundry. He usually left that up to the professionals like his mom and Mitsuki. "I don't know, Dee. Did she say where she was going?" Kazuki grew a little concerned. Mitsuki Sanada didn't normally leave work unattended. Maybe Zinv's joke had offended her more than Kazuki had thought.  
  
"No, she didn't say. I'm sorry, Kazuki."  
  
Kazuki smiled a little to ease Dee's mind. "It's ok, Dee. Would you let her know that Mitsuki Rara and I are going downtown for a bit?"  
  
"Oh! Can I come?"  
  
Kazuki blushed a little. It was going to be hard to explain this to her without hurting her feelings and the words were unfortunately not coming to mind. After stammering for a minute, he finally stated, "Actually, I think Mitsuki Sanada wanted you to finish doing the laundry." Kazuki internally sighed, thankful that he had finally found a viable escape route.  
  
Dee frowned. "Oh, I see."  
  
Kazuki hated it when she did that. At times, he had the sneaking suspicion that she knew this and did it just to get her way. "Perhaps we can go downtown together next weekend, ok?"  
  
Dee's face brightened. "OK! I'll see you later, Kazuki!" She giggled and began pouring more bleach in with the colored clothing.  
  
Kazuki smiled and went back upstairs to see if Mitsuki Rara was ready. As he approached the door, he noticed it was opened just a tiny bit. If there were any peepers nearby, they would surely be looking through the slit for perhaps a single glimpse of Mitsuki Rara and her unmentionables.  
  
Analyzing the situation, Kazuki wondered if this was Mitsuki's way of saying that she wanted him to peek through the small crack. Deciding that this was the case, Kazuki, his cheeks bright red, leaned forward, peering through the small break between the door and the doorjamb.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" Alice's voice startled Kazuki immediately, causing him to slam into the door and widen the crack by many more inches. All Kazuki could hear, aside from Mitsuki Rara's shrill scream, was the Rara Trio giggling at another completed mission and running off down the hall.  
  
Now fully red, Kazuki kept his eyes on the floor and bowed his head profusely. "I'm so sorry, Mitsuki! I must have slipped and the door wasn't properly closed so I slammed into it and then you weren't dressed and I didn't mean to peek. I'm so sorry!"  
  
Mitsuki looked questioningly at Kazuki. "What are you talking about, Kazuki? I'm ready to go."  
  
Kazuki quickly looked up and noticed that she was fully dressed and was standing in the closet trying to pick a purse. All of that and she was ready the entire time.  
  
"Are you alright, Kazuki? You look ill. Maybe we should go out some other time?"  
  
Suddenly Kazuki felt ten times better. He shot off the floor and replied, "No, no, no. I'm fine! I'm ready when you are!"  
  
"Good. I'm ready if you are."  
  
Kazuki, wondering why she said that instead of a simple 'Let's go', nodded and replied, "Alright, let's go then."  
  
Mitsuki returned the nod and they both left the house together. 


	3. Part 3

Mitsuki and Kazuki navigated through the small crowd of teenagers carefully, maintaining a respectful distance between each other at all times. This distance was not what Kazuki wanted, of course, but every time he would move near Mitsuki Rara, she would begin blushing violently or take a good three steps away from him.  
  
Kazuki wanted to be close to her more than anything, or at least he thought he did. The more distance she put between them, however, the more he wondered if he really wanted this or not.  
  
Mitsuki's shy voice could barely be heard over the crowd as it asked, "Kazuki?"  
  
Kazuki stopped and turned to face Mitsuki Rara, hiding his disappointment with the date thus far fairly well. "Yes Mitsuki?"  
  
"Um... That is... Is there any way that we could meet back here in fifteen minutes?"  
  
Kazuki frowned, but nodded. There was an arcade right around the corner that was still open and he was certain he could find something to occupy him for at least that long. "Sure, Mitsuki, but why? Is there something wrong?"  
  
"... No, not really. I just need fifteen minutes..."  
  
"Is it something I can help you with?"  
  
Mitsuki's cheeks reddened slightly. "N-n-no, I think I can handle this alone. Is that ok with you, Kazuki?"  
  
Kazuki nodded. "Sure, whatever you need." He turned and began walking to the next street corner.  
  
Mitsuki Rara remained stationary until she saw him round the bend in the road before crossing the street. Kazuki, whose curiosity had the better of him, had turned around and was watching Mitsuki cross from behind a building. After arriving safely on the other side, she looked around. Kazuki ducked back behind the building and waited a minute or two before peeking back out.  
  
As he did so, Kazuki saw just a glimpse of Mitsuki's back as she entered the lingerie store. Becoming redder than a crab, Kazuki gawked at the entrance to the lingerie shop. The mere thought of what Mitsuki Rara was looking at was almost too much for him to handle. Going against his better judgment, he stepped out from around the corner and began walking towards the shop, merely for investigative purposes of course.  
  
A strange sound from the side alley halted Kazuki in his tracks. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the poor lighting and tried to make out what was going on. The figure of a young woman ducking out the lingerie shop's back door was slowly coming into focus. After another second or two, he thought he could make out a Nanjyo Private Academy uniform. It looked like Mitsuki Sanada.  
  
"Mitsuki? Is that you?"  
  
The young woman froze in her path and focused on Kazuki. As his eyes adjusted, he could make out her face and the sad look upon it. Why had she chosen this way out? Was it because she saw the other Mitsuki?  
  
"K-K-Kazuki," Mitsuki's voice trailed off and she apparently could not come up with anything more to add. Staring at him for another moment, she turned and ran in the other direction.  
  
"Mitsuki! Wait!" Kazuki yelled, taking a step forward in preparation to run after her.  
  
A soft voice halted his progress. "Kazuki, is there something wrong?"  
  
Kazuki stared somewhat longingly down the alleyway before turning back to Mitsuki Rara. "No, it's nothing." He flashed her a nervous smile and hoped that she'd buy it, knowing full well that she would.  
  
The two began walking away together. They remained a respectable distance apart.  
  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
  
Mitsuki ran into the night. She didn't really know where she was going; she just knew she had to get as far away from the two of them as possible. She ran past the Academy, past the City Hall, past anything and everything that remotely reminded her of him.  
  
She finally arrived at a small park that appeared to be unoccupied. Finding an out-of-the-way bench, Mitsuki flopped down on it hard, attempting to choke back the tears she felt welling up inside of her.  
  
Kazuki looked so happy, even without her.  
  
How could he be so cruel?  
  
How could Kazuki forget all those times they spent alone together? The big jerk was too busy laughing it up with the other Mitsuki to even notice how she felt.  
  
Maybe that was it! Maybe Yayoi, Dee, the other Mitsuki, Daddy, Akane, Reika, and the others were all laughing at her expense. As for Kazuki, he was probably laughing the hardest. Yes, that must be it exactly.  
  
Rising from the bench, she made a decision. She'd show Kazuki what he was missing. Mitsuki would find someone ten times greater than Kazuki and then he'd see! Kazuki would regret the day he spurned Mitsuki Sanada!  
  
Toshihiko Izawa carefully juggled all of the packages he was carrying, trying not to drop anything. The moving day thus far had gone smooth and he was returning from the local grocery store with a week's worth of provisions. As he walked past the park, Toshihiko noticed all the couples walking happily together and wished he could be in their shoes.  
  
As he was daydreaming, Toshihiko didn't notice the person who stood directly in his path until it was too late. Once they collided, Toshihiko muttered, "Dammit, I'm sorry," and bowed to the person he had bumped into.  
  
Mitsuki's temper was beginning to swell inside her, but one look at the assailant and she instantly cooled. It was one of Kazuki's friends, the one who had wanted to invite her to his love shack or whatever it was. Maybe he'd appreciate what Kazuki obviously could not.  
  
"It's ok, Toshihiko is it?"  
  
Toshihiko's head shot straight up. He couldn't believe it! Of all the people he could bump into, he had to run into the love of his life, Mitsuki Sanada! He began apologizing over and over, hoping that she wouldn't hold it against him for the rest of his days.  
  
"I said it's ok, Toshihiko. Do you need help?" Mitsuki crouched and began picking up the scattered groceries. Toshihiko seemed to share Kazuki's tastes in food, for he had a lot of ramen noodles and instant curry. There were the few assorted fruits and vegetables, however, so there was hope.  
  
"Oh! Thank you, Ms. Sanada, but I can get those!" He bent over and began shoveling the food back into the bag.  
  
As they both hurriedly stuffed the bags, they both reached for an apple and touched hands momentarily. Toshihiko's cheeks reddened as he moved his hand away. Mitsuki smiled, picking up the apple and placing it in a bag.  
  
The couple stood, his groceries bagged up and Toshihiko ready to go on his way. When he reached for the bag Mitsuki carried, she pulled it out of his reach and replied, "Nope. I carry this one. That is, unless the invitation to see your apartment has been withdrawn."  
  
Toshihiko was utterly speechless. Sure, he'd dreamed about this moment for... Well, longer than he could remember, but he had never actually thought that this day would occur: The day Mitsuki Sanada showed interest in him! "N-n-no, it hasn't been withdrawn, Ms. Sanada."  
  
"Good. Let's go, then. I'll cook dinner. I'm sure you're tired and could use a good meal."  
  
"Y-y-yes ma'am. The apartment is this way," Toshihiko pointed with his now free hand. The two began heading in that direction, remaining a respectful distance apart.  
  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
  
Kazuki glanced at the clock.  
  
It was four minutes past twenty-two hundred and Mitsuki Sanada still was not home.  
  
Of course, neither were any of the adults, but that was to be expected. Yayoi had climbed back to her house through the window two hours ago. Dee had taken Kumu with her to sleep on the futon. The Rara Trio had piled down into the basement and Mitsuki Rara was upstairs fast asleep.  
  
Five minutes after twenty-two hundred and still no Mitsuki Sanada.  
  
At thirteen minutes after twenty-two hundred, Kazuki heard the front gate squeak. Sitting up straight, he listened as the key slid into the lock and watched the doorknob turn.  
  
Mitsuki Sanada entered, a neutral expression on her face. She glanced over at the couch where Kazuki was sitting, but turned and headed towards the stairs.  
  
"Mitsuki, wait!" Kazuki stood up, walking around the couch and approaching her.  
  
"I'm sorry I wasn't here to make dinner. I trust that you and Mitsuki ate well?"  
  
Kazuki's cheeks reddened slightly. "Yes, we were able to find some food. What about you?"  
  
Mitsuki Sanada made a soft amused-sounding noise that surprisingly lacked the amusement. She walked up the stairs, leaving a very confused Kazuki behind her.  
  
Kazuki walked back to the couch and sat down. He wasn't sure why, but something was wrong. The date with Mitsuki Rara was enjoyable, but something about the whole situation just felt empty. She always wanted what he wanted; there was no conflict to speak of at all. While some would call this bliss, Kazuki found it lacking. Now Mitsuki Sanada was upset, possibly hurt, but she wouldn't even tell him why. The entire situation was frustrating Kazuki immensely, but he couldn't see the way out. All he knew was:  
  
"Women can be so unpredictable."  
  
Zinv: "Agreed."  
  
"I second that motion," Reika, who had snuck in while Kazuki was off pondering the nature of womanhood, drifted into the living room and sat down in a chair across from the young man. They rarely had an opportunity to sit, just the two of them, and Reika always enjoyed their talks.  
  
"Hello, Ms. Nanjyoin." Kazuki rose and bowed to his elder, who merely waived at him to sit down. "What are you doing home so early?"  
  
"Akane asked me to check in on the house. It appears that it is still standing." She tapped the floor just to make sure before continuing, "So, it also appears that you are having a dilemma. Is there anything I can do to help?"  
  
"No, not really." Kazuki lowered his head. He didn't understand the situation himself so how could he expect another to get it?  
  
"I see." Reika looked at the tortured young man sitting before her. From her years of experience, she knew that he would come to her when he was good and ready.  
  
It took about two minutes.  
  
"It's just that..."  
  
"Just what, dear?"  
  
"Just that... I don't know if I'm doing the right thing."  
  
"How so?"  
  
Kazuki swallowed before continuing, "Ms. Rara and I went downtown tonight..."  
  
"Hmm," Reika made a mental note to clear some time in her schedule to speak with Yayoi. She would most certainly need a shoulder to cry upon.  
  
"... And well, it just didn't feel right."  
  
On second analysis, maybe Reika wouldn't need to clear her schedule after all. "Go on."  
  
"The whole time we were together, I was thinking of someone else..."  
  
"I see. Why were you thinking of this person?"  
  
Kazuki considered this for a long time. Did it have to do with how Mitsuki Sanada looked in that alley? Was it the sad expression on her face? Or was it something else? Why did being with Mitsuki Rara feel so wrong?  
  
In the end, all he could come up with was, "I-I-I don't know. What should I do, Ms. Nanjyoin? Please tell me!"  
  
Reika's facial expression became one of pity. She realized what this boy-- this young man-- was going through. He wanted to make everyone happy. In theory, it sounded wonderful, but in practice it was almost impossible. It appeared that Kazuki was finally beginning to see this sad fact of life.  
  
Carefully considering how she was going to word this, Reika replied, "Kazuki, how old are you?"  
  
Kazuki looked up at the honorable elder before him, not quite sure where she was going with the comment. "I'm seventeen, ma'am. Almost eighteen."  
  
Reika nodded. "Some would say you are approaching manhood and would expect you to heed the advice of your elders in this transitional time. Others, however, would try to force you into this manhood." Reika contained her usual annoyed expression her face would make whenever she thought back to what Ayuko had done to this poor boy just before Zinv returned. By throwing him in bed nude with her daughter, Ayuko was more responsible for muddying the waters of Kazuki's mind than anyone else in the household. "Either way, you will soon become a man. Part of being a man is making decisions. That is what separates men from boys. Boys follow the decisions of others like leaves follow a river's current. Men are the current and they decide where they will flow."  
  
Kazuki stared at the elder, not quite sure how to reply. He simply nodded, hoping that such a response would be enough.  
  
Reika continued, "Sometimes these decisions hurt others. A river sometimes crosses its bank and floods nearby villages. However, part of being a man is accepting this risk and making what you feel is the right choice."  
  
Kazuki, totally lost by the whole river topic, gave Reika a questioning look. "Um... I thought we were talking about Mitsuki Rara?"  
  
Sighing, Reika rose and Kazuki immediately rose with her. She walked over and placed her hands on his shoulders, staring deep into his eyes. "Decide which way you will flow, River, and do not fear for the villagers."  
  
Kazuki, still totally lost, replied, "Huh?"  
  
Reika sighed even heavier. "You have to make a decision, Kazuki! Either Mitsuki Rara or someone else. You have to choose what's right for you. I can't do that for Kazuki Yotsuga. Only Kazuki Yotsuga can make that choice." No wonder he wanted the other one so badly. Kazuki was so dense that all he understood was direct brute force.  
  
"I think I see. Thank you, Ms. Nanjyoin." Kazuki bowed deeply.  
  
Thankful that this conversation was over, she wearily replied, "My pleasure, Mr. Yotsuga." Reika returned the bow and quickly headed for the door before Kazuki could come up with another question. As she darted out the door, Reika wondered why she enjoyed talking to him so much. It always seemed like she needed a week's vacation after every little chat...  
  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
  
Kazuki reached over and hit the light on his alarm clock for the tenth time. It was twenty-two minutes after one hundred. He'd been lying like this since a little after twenty-three hundred.  
  
Reika's words echoed in his mind over and over. Kazuki didn't want to hurt either Mitsuki, or Dee and Yayoi for that matter, but the elder was correct. He would have to make a choice, but why? Why did he HAVE to choose? The end result would be that someone would get hurt.  
  
That was it. He wasn't going to choose. Kazuki wasn't going to hurt any of them.  
  
"You're going to run?" Zinv's voice broke the silence.  
  
Kazuki whispered, trying not to wake Dee, "No, it's not like that at all. I just don't want to hurt anyone."  
  
Zinv: "And yet it appears that you have."  
  
Kazuki sighed, closing his eyes. It had taken a while, but he finally accepted that somehow he had caused Mitsuki Sanada's sad expression to appear on her face. "Yeah, I guess I did."  
  
Zinv: "Have you ever made a decision that hurt another?"  
  
Kazuki thought about it for a moment before replying, "Not that I'm aware of."  
  
Zinv: "Not even once?"  
  
"No."  
  
Zinv was silent for a moment. Kazuki could almost hear the thought process going through his counterpart's mind. Zinv finally responded, "What about when you chose to come with me?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"When I was to be sent back to my original world, I asked and you chose to come with me. Since I have been reactivated, the bond between your elders and their offspring has fascinated me. Where we came from, there was nothing like the bond shared between parent and child," 'we' referred to Dee and himself. Although she showed no evidence in her behavior, Dee was an alien. She apparently had no memories of her alien life prior to this and yet Zinv still existed and remembered. Kazuki wondered at times whether secretly Dee remembered as well.  
  
Zinv continued uninterrupted, "As the world from which you originate dissolved around us, I saw another aspect of that relationship: The pain that comes from loss of a child. Sanada wept as his daughter left with us; wept as he saw his daughter for what he thought was the last time. Tell me, Kazuki, did you have parents in that world?"  
  
Zinv knew the answer to this question, so why was he asking? Kazuki slowly answered, "Yes, of course I did."  
  
Zinv: "And you left them?"  
  
"Not willingly! My being transported to the other world was a complete accident," Kazuki was becoming a bit agitated, his voice rising from a whisper. He tried to calm himself down, but the line of questioning was beginning to annoy him.  
  
Zinv: "The first time, yes, but the second time you went willingly. You CHOSE to come back with me of your own accord."  
  
"Yeah, I did. So?"  
  
Zinv: "Did they weep when they knew you were gone?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
Zinv: "Your parents. Did they weep when you left?"  
  
"I don't know. They thought Mitsuki and I had eloped so honestly, I don't think they knew I had left."  
  
Zinv: "But you did ask Dr. Sanada how they reacted when they were told of this arrangement. And their response was?"  
  
Kazuki swallowed, "... They did."  
  
Zinv: "So, knowing this fact, you chose to go back to the other world?"  
  
"I... I suppose I did."  
  
Zinv: "So, it is safe to assume that you hurt them by making a choice."  
  
"Not intentionally."  
  
Zinv: "True, but nonetheless..."  
  
Kazuki considered his partner's words for a few minutes. "Perhaps I have hurt others in the past through my decisions," the tone of Kazuki's response was distinctly more depressed.  
  
Zinv: "Was it the right choice, though?"  
  
Without thinking, Kazuki replied, "Of course it was! An entire world was depending on me- on us!"  
  
Kazuki sensed the mental nod of agreement his other half was giving him and smiled slightly. Zinv wasn't trying to incriminate him, he was trying to help him understand that this decision wasn't the first or last step he had taken towards manhood, but it was an important one. When he had climbed into Zinv's outstretched hand, he accepted the responsibility of the lives in that other world. It was time for him to accept more responsibility.  
  
"Thank you, old friend."  
  
Zinv: "Thank you, young friend." 


	4. Part 4

Kazuki began his trek to the private academy on his own, buttoning up his raincoat. Mitsuki Sanada had already left before his alarm had gone off for the first time and because of this absence, Kazuki almost missed breakfast entirely. Yayoi, who seemed to be one of the few not upset with him in some form or fashion, had not appeared at his windowsill like she normally would that morning. Mitsuki Rara approached Kazuki at one point while he was in the hallway and acted as if she was going to say something, but changed her mind and headed off to culinary school. None of the girls had prepared a separate lunch, or even breakfast for that matter, for Kazuki, so Akane had to throw something together quickly so that he wouldn't starve. The meal was as edible as the sushi/egg roll/hamburger from a couple of days ago, but it was food so Kazuki wouldn't complain.  
  
Despite two years as a housewife, Akane still couldn't get the knack of certain things. Of course, the fact that Yayoi, Mitsuki, and Mitsuki were fighting over the household chores constantly didn't help her learning process either. After yesterday, however, it appeared that things were changing. Kazuki wondered if it was for the better, or for the worse.  
  
And so, there he was: Alone, walking to school. Kazuki hoped that he'd bump into Mitsuki Sanada on the way over. He had a lot to talk about with her.  
  
As he approached the front gates to the school, Kazuki looked for Mitsuki Sanada, finding only unknown faces before him. Pushing through the crowd, Kazuki made his way to his locker.  
  
Placing his out-of-school shoes into the locker, he put the in-school pair that he and all students kept in their lockers on the ground and slid them on. He glanced out of the window at the horrible weather outside not noticing the hushed murmur from his peers surrounding him.  
  
Finally, Mansanari, out of breath, elbowed Kazuki back to the real world. "Hey Kazuki, did you hear?"  
  
Kazuki rubbed his ribcage. Why did everyone think that hitting him there was a good way to get his attention? "Hear what," Kazuki asked, an annoyed tone quite evident.  
  
"Toshihiko and-and-and Mitsuki Sanada!"  
  
Kazuki stopped in his tracks. "What?"  
  
Mansanari nodded, agreeing with Kazuki's disbelief, "Yeah, that's what everyone's saying. I mean, half the school had her and you together and the other half had you as, well... I've said too much. Anyway," Mansanari dragged the word out before continuing on, "Rumor has it the two have been spending a lot of time together since Toshihiko moved out."  
  
"But that was yesterday!" Kazuki was surprised by how fast rumors spread through the Academy.  
  
"I know, the lucky bastard!" Mansanari looked dreamily towards where the crowd was parting, allowing a couple to approach Kazuki and he's location.  
  
Toshihiko, nothing but grins, approached his friends. "Hey guys! How are you?" His words showed no ulterior motives, but his actions said otherwise. He made it abundantly clear that he was with someone, a female someone to be more precise.  
  
Mitsuki Sanada, to be exact.  
  
"I must get to class, honey. Is there anything I can do for you before I go," Mitsuki asked Toshihiko, deliberately ignoring his companions. Her voice sounded sincere to most, but Kazuki swore he heard something hollow in it.  
  
Toshihiko's cheeks reddened "Oh no! You've been so helpful, my dear! Thank you!"  
  
"Not a problem, dear! Have fun with your friends," Mitsuki waived to her 'dear', turning to walk past the other two boys. As she passed Kazuki, she stated with a bow of her head, "Gentlemen," locking eyes with Kazuki only for a second.  
  
"So, my boys, what do you think? Impossible, you say? Ha! Ha to you and your childish envy," Toshihiko was the height of class. Not a gloat escaping his mouth, not even once. "Just look at the lunch she made for me! LOOK AT IT!" He promptly held open the case for both of them, especially Kazuki, to see.  
  
Kazuki hadn't said a word since he'd seen the two approaching together. What could he say? The scene was just too shocking. He needed time to adjust.  
  
Unfortunately, the clock was not willing to accommodate his needs. As it chimed a one-minute warning, Kazuki finished sliding on his school shoes. As if he were a machine, he closed the locker door, spinning the lock, and slowly shuffled into his homeroom.  
  
As he dragged towards his desk, Kazuki didn't even notice that his teacher, Yayoi, was not present. The substitute teacher said something about her being ill, but Kazuki did not process the information. He only stared at the board, lost in thoughts thousands of miles from school or four classrooms over, to be exact.  
  
It was going to be a long day.  
  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
  
After class, Kazuki drew the unlucky lot that meant he had to clean the men's bathroom before he could leave school. Thankfully, no one had left too many unpleasant surprises for him to discover.  
  
Kazuki placed the mop and bucket back into the closet, leaving it unlocked for the other students who were still cleaning. He glanced at the lockers belonging to his two friends, focusing on Toshihiko's. Both students had apparently finished their chores and were already out. Putting on his raincoat and out-of-school shoes, Kazuki grabbed his books and exited through the front entrance.  
  
As he watched the cars drive past, Kazuki wondered where Mitsuki Sanada was. She normally walked home with him at this time, but was nowhere to be found. It was an unusually cold and bitter rain that was beating down upon him and Kazuki pulled the coat closer to him, as if he were trying to hide his soul from the frigidness assailing it from all directions.  
  
The long freezing walk seemed to last for a small eternity. Kazuki finally reached the gates of the Sanada family home, pausing to take in the house from the street.  
  
It felt empty.  
  
He pushed open the cold metal gate, letting it slide back into place under its own power. Kazuki fumbled for the key to the house with his numb fingers, eventually finding the proper key and unlocking the door.  
  
Akane and the rest of the adults were going to be away for another evening at the laboratory and so the house was empty again. Kicking off his shoes at the front door, Kazuki slid on his house slippers and continued upstairs to his room.  
  
A small note on his desk informed him that someone had been in the house at one point. The name, 'Kazuki' in neat handwriting informed the recipient that it was from Mitsuki Rara. Placing his books down on the desk, he carefully opened the letter and read the single line.  
  
"Dear Kazuki, I wish you two the best. Mitsuki Rara."  
  
Kazuki dropped the letter as if it contained the black plague itself. He slowly backed away from it, as if distance would somehow grant him immunity. How did she know? She must have overheard the conversation last night, but why hadn't she approach him sooner?  
  
Kazuki sat on the mat across from his desk and stared at the paper on the floor before him. His decision was now much easier to make. He just wished it had not come to this, but it was too late for that.  
  
Zinv: "I am here."  
  
He quickly rose, running down the stairs and past Dee, who was removing her shoes at the front door.  
  
"Hello, Kazuki! How was your day," Dee smiled warmly at her 'cousin' as she slid on her house slippers.  
  
"Dee! Do you know where Mitsuki Sanada is," Kazuki grabbed Dee by the shoulders, trying to contain himself so that he wouldn't shake the poor girl to death.  
  
"N-n-no, I haven't seen her all day today. Now that you mention it, it was quite odd that she wasn't here for brea--," Dee was interrupted mid- sentence.  
  
"Thanks Dee!" Kazuki threw on his shoes and unlocked the door, sprinting out into the pouring rain.  
  
Dee called out, "Kazuki! Your coat! You'll get sick," but it was too late. The gate had already been thrown open and Kazuki was half a block away.  
  
He wasn't sure where to go first, but Kazuki knew he needed to find Mitsuki Sanada, he needed to tell her how he felt, even if she didn't return those feelings, and it had to be tonight. Since he had no clue where to start, Kazuki's first act would be to find Toshihiko, who was probably the last person to see her after school.  
  
The only problem was that he had no idea where Toshihiko's apartment was. Toshihiko was too busy gloating about Mitsuki to mention the location. Perhaps Mansanari knew?  
  
Passing the school as he ran through the freezing rain, Kazuki continued to the nearest location he was sure of: Mansanari 's apartment. As he reached the call box, he quickly hit Four-B and awaited a response.  
  
The scratchy voice emanated from the small speaker. "Hello?"  
  
"Mansanari!"  
  
"Uh, yeah. Is that Kazuki?"  
  
"It is! Where is Toshihiko's new apartment?"  
  
"Kazuki? What are you doing out in weather like this? Come up here and relax a little, man! That new sho--"  
  
Kazuki interrupted his friend, "Dammit tell me where he's living, now!"  
  
The speaker was silent for a moment, obviously shocked by the response. Mansanari replied after this long pause, "I don't know. He was too busy gloating..."  
  
Kazuki had already begun running away as he heard the words 'I don't know'. His next best bet would be the Izawa residence, Toshihiko's former home. Running the miles in the rain with surprising speed, he reached his destination quickly.  
  
Kazuki rang the bell and waited for a reply. A small crack opened in the door and a young child poked his head out to look at the person standing at the door. Smiling widely as he recognized the face, he shouted, "Yea! Uncle Kazuki has come to play with us!"  
  
Kazuki quickly replied, "No, I can't today. I am looking for your brother, Toshihiko. Do you know where he moved to?"  
  
The child, frowning slightly, nodded and pointed to the small apartment complex two blocks over. "He's there now. He doesn't play with us anymore either."  
  
"What apartment number is he in," Kazuki was rushing the child, rubbing his fingers together to keep them warm.  
  
"I don't know. He's on the second level."  
  
Kazuki spun around and ran straight for the complex, dodging traffic as he ran through the road without looking.  
  
He was close. He knew it.  
  
Kazuki ran up to the main entrance, scanning the list of names on the second floor until he found that Izawa was not listed at all. There were, however, two blank apartments.  
  
As luck would have it, a couple exited the building and left the door open long enough for Kazuki to slide in without contacting either of the open apartments. Punching the elevator button, Kazuki tapped his foot as it slowly descended, becoming disgusted with it after a few seconds, and ran up the stairwell.  
  
Kazuki slammed into the door separating the stairwell from the hall and stumbled down the corridor, the cold and wetness beginning to mix with his exhaustion as he approached the first open room. Ringing the bell, he waited, catching his breath in the process.  
  
After no one responded, he ran towards the other apartment. Ringing the bell, Kazuki heard some shifting around inside. He began knocking on the door with greater and greater intensity until finally the door swung open and he almost stumbled into the apartment.  
  
Mitsuki Sanada stood before him, a small scowl on her face. "You moron, you went out in the rain without your coat! You're going to catch a cold!"  
  
Kazuki, not quite hearing the words she had uttered, inhaled deeply and paused. He noted a very familiar scent on the air around them. It was curry.  
  
Mitsuki Sanada making curry? She never made curry, not even when he asked for it. 'If you eat too much curry, you'll turn yellow,' she'd always reply. This was usually followed with a spaghetti dinner that she had always enjoyed prior to this moment. Secretly, Kazuki had enjoyed the spaghetti more as well.  
  
His lips, still slightly blue from the cold, stuttered, "I-I-Is th-th-that curry?"  
  
Mitsuki sighed and nodded, "Yes it is. Toshihiko likes it and who am I to tell him he can't have it?"  
  
Upon hearing this, Kazuki straightened, a warmth returning to his body that the frigid weather had attempted to remove. "That is not Mitsuki Sanada talking. The Mitsuki I know would never just cave like that. What's wrong with you, Mitsuki? Why are you doing this?"  
  
Mitsuki gave Kazuki a solemn look as she responded, "Why are you here, Kazuki? Don't you have somewhere else to be?"  
  
"No. Right here is where I need to be. Right by your side, like I should have been to begin with. If I had not wavered, you would not be here and acting as someone you are not."  
  
Kazuki stepped toward Mitsuki, the distance between them not much more than a foot. He stared into Mitsuki's eyes with a fire that had never seemed to exist there before. Taking her hand, Kazuki continued, "I want you to come home with me, Mitsuki Sanada. I want you to be my girlfriend. Not Rara, not Yayoi, not Dee. You. You asked me what I wanted? I want you to choose. Which will it be, Mitsuki: Spaghetti or curry?"  
  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
  
Dr. Sanada and Dr. Rara stared in awe at Zinv.  
  
"If you two don't stop gawking at it and get to work, our great- grandchildren will still be stuck on this rock," Akane chided them both for the hundredth time, knowing that it was no use.  
  
Suddenly, Zinv's eyes lit up.  
  
It began struggling against the restraints that held it in place, snapping the hoses attached to his body for measuring purposes.  
  
"What is it? Is Kazuki in trouble?" Akane ran up to where the two scientists stood, taking her husband's arm.  
  
Dr. Sanada looked up the giant robot, realizing no force on this planet could truly hold it. "I don't know, dear. I hope not."  
  
As he broke free, Zinv stood and turned towards the other core robots being assembled behind him. Taking a wobbly step forward, he approached Unit Two, Katana. Stopping a few feet away from the other core robot, Zinv held his hand up to her, a gesture of the bond he and his master shared with Katana and her master.  
  
Unit Two, despite its incomplete form, activated. It lifted its head and looked at Zinv momentarily. Moving its one complete arm, it lifted it up towards Zinv's hand.  
  
The scientist stared in shock as Unit Two slapped Zinv's hand away. Zinv let out a roar and fell to his knees, deactivating himself immediately.  
  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
  
Mitsuki stared at Kazuki for a moment before removing her hand from his.  
  
"Go home, Kazuki." With this said, Mitsuki turned and shut the door on a spurned Kazuki.  
  
"Who was that," Toshihiko asked, exiting the bathroom.  
  
As Mitsuki slumped against the door, she sighed and responded, "No one. It was no one."  
  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
  
Kazuki trudged through the pouring rain, not even attempting to avoid it. He kept his head focused on the ground, kicking at the occasional puddle he would pass. He wasn't sure what he was going to do. His desire to please everyone ended up causing him more misery and grief than making anyone truly happy. Now, he was all alone with no one beside him.  
  
The gates outside the Sanada home had never felt colder. Everything felt gray, frigid. Kazuki entered the home, kicking off his shoes and climbing the staircase. He ignored the fact that he and his clothes were dripping water in his wake as he reached the top of the stairs.  
  
Kazuki passed Dee without saying a word, her concerned look following him down the hall. He thought he saw an eye peeping through the crack in Mitsuki's door, but the crack quickly closed once Kazuki noticed it. Opening the door to his room, Kazuki entered and locked the door behind him.  
  
The phone rang and Kazuki could hear Dee running to answer it. After a minute, he heard the soft footsteps come back upstairs and stop at his door. She knocked and waited for a response, receiving silence.  
  
"Kazuki? Kazuki, it's Dad. He says he needs you to come to the lab immediately. Something's wrong with Zinv. He won't move and no matter how many cranes they bring in, his weight just seems to increase. Dad hopes that maybe your presence will wake him up, or at least lighten the load a little bit so that he can be moved. Kazuki, can you hear me?"  
  
Kazuki's depressed tone replied softly, "My presence will not move Zinv. Tell Dr. Sanada that. Go now." He didn't care any more. If only he had acted sooner, things could have been different. If only...  
  
If...  
  
Kazuki sneezed loudly.  
  
It appeared Mitsuki was correct, again. Kazuki apparently was beginning to catch a cold. He tossed the wet clothes he was wearing into a corner, putting on his bed clothing before lying on his mat and crawling under the sheets. Kazuki drew the sheet over his head, hoping that it would shield him from the cruel world he was living in.  
  
He lay like this for hours. The rain had continued into the evening and seemed relentless. No matter how he tried, Kazuki could not stop loathing his indecisiveness and poor luck. Dee would try every few hours to get Kazuki to open the door to no avail. Mitsuki Rara even attempted to coax him out at one point, but met with no success.  
  
Finally, the rain stopped.  
  
Kazuki heard a soft tap on the door. Annoyed with their persistence, he moaned, "Go away!"  
  
The violator of his privacy merely tapped again.  
  
"Can't you listen? I said go away!"  
  
Another knock.  
  
Rising from his mat, Kazuki turned on his desk lamp, allowing his eyes to adjust to the light before getting off his mat. He put on his slippers and staggered towards the door, muttering about how all he needed was a little peace and quiet. Unlocking it, he slowly cracked the door.  
  
No one was standing in front of his room.  
  
Kazuki opened the door, continuing to stare at the floor in front of him with a sad look on his face.  
  
Slowly, something stepped into view. Whatever it was, it was dripping water all over the hallway. Ms. Sanada was not going to be happy when she got home and saw that mess waiting for her.  
  
Kazuki looked up at the intruder slowly at first, but he quickly looked into her eyes once he recognizing the figure standing before him.  
  
In the laboratory, Zinv's eyes lit up as Unit Two's hand touched his shoulder.  
  
The soaked young woman standing before Kazuki smiled, her cheeks slightly red, and stated simply, "Spaghetti." 


End file.
